And some great questions to consider from Nick Quah re: Google and Spotify moves:Assuming Spotify and Google does indeed each accrue meaningful podcast distribution power, should we read their podcast activities as competitive with, or additive to, the podcast world Apple has fostered? In other words: is this necessarily a zero-sum game?

Is it possible to sketch a theory of the ecosystem that sees “Big Podcasting” as a separate from “Open Podcasting/Everything Else,” the latter as perhaps mediated by Apple? Is it possible for the two things to exist in parallel?

With regards to Apple, there’s an obvious question, and there’s a less obvious question. The former: how will Apple respond? The latter: should they respond? This should bring us to a more root question: what is the game that Apple plays, and what is the best version of that game specifically within the podcast context?

If Spotify and Google do end up commandeering the bulk of new podcast listenership, what’s the move for third-party podcast apps? What new opportunities are they best positioned to pursue? Should they double down on niche communities?